really, really easy comb cover tutorial

Do you scrabble around in the bottom

of your bag for your comb

and when you eventually find it it has all sorts

gunk over it?

Or is that just me?

Anyway I've been meaning to make a cover

for ages so I thought you might like to make one too.

First cut out one strip of fabric 20" long x 3" wide.

The size depends on the comb you will be using 

just be sure not to make it too snug because 

it would be a pain to be able to finally find your comb

and then not be able to get it out of the cover.

Trim corners.

Once you have turned it right side out and pressed it

fold it in half and press it again.

Now just stitch down the two long sides.

That's it!

Just pop your comb in and it will be so much easier (and cleaner)

to find in the bottom of your handbag.

These don't take a lot of fabric so they would be great for

Mother's Day stalls wrapped in celophane with a pretty comb.

or just for you!

Don't forget the Creative Challenge sign ups close today.

easy tissue holder tutorial

 

Here's an easy tutorial for a tissue holder with a self facing trim

and these ones are lined so they aren't so flimsy.

Are you ready to make one or ten?

 

 

These are so good to have on hand as a little gift

or make a stack of them for fetes or Mother's Day stalls.

 

The longest part of making these is choosing the fabric!

 

burp cloth tutorial

My nieces have been having babies

so I thought I'd like to make them something

very quick and easy and decided on burp cloths.

I really don't like the name burp cloths and I'm sure

when my nieces get these they won't call them that either

I'm thinking chuckers or chux but anyway I digress.

 

First of all I prewashed some fat quarters and some new white towels.

Then I cut the length of a fat quarter (about 22") 

and the width of about 10 inches.

The same measurements were used for the towelling back.

 

I used Dickies towels for the backing although you can

buy towelling at Spotlight it's nice to support

Australian manufactures.

 

 

With right sides facing stitch around the two

pieces making sure you leave a gap for turning.

Trim corners and turn right side out.

Give it all a good press.

 

 

Top stitch all around about 1/2 inch from the edges

closing the turning gap as you go.

 

That's it!

So very, very simple but such useful gifts.

 

 

You'll have a pretty stack in no time.

 

 

 

pineapple tutorial

 

So you'd like to make a pineapple?

 

 You will need about 1/2 a metre of pineapple

coloured fabric to make yourself 74 x 3" prairie points.

 

For the prairie points you cut a neat 3" square and

fold point to point and press. 

 Fold again to form the triangle and press again.

 

There are plenty of tutorials for making

large quantities of prairie points around just ask Mr Google.

 

You will also need a base that measures 15cm high x 35cm long.

 

 

Start by sewing a row of points along the bottom

with the points aligning with the edge.

Tuck each point into the one on the left.

 

Continue doing rows and rows with your stitching

close to the top so that it is easily covered by the next row.

Position your points so the ones above are evenly

spaced between the ones below.

Don't worry about overlapping the edges as these will

be trimmed off later.

Keep adding rows until you reach about 5cm from the top.

 

You need to use some green scrap fabric for the leaves.

Draw and cut out some templates from cardboard

as shown above.

 

 

Trace your greenery onto doubled green fabric.

You can do the whole lot and stitch around all of them

before cutting around them and turning them

right side out.

You will need 8 small leaves and 5 large ones.

 

Turn under the top edge 2cm and pin the small leaves

along the front and space the larger leaves behind.

Stitch right along securing the leaves.

 

With right sides facing join edges and sew

about 1cm in to make the back seam.

Now you'll need to trim all the excess bits of points

to neaten it all up a bit.

 

Cut a 12cm diameter circle from your main fabric.

Pin it to the bottom edge of your pineapple taking

care you don't catch any points.

Usually after I pin the base I tack around it by hand

before machine sewing as I found it easier to pull the

pins out.

 

Now it should look like this!

 

Start stuffing.

 

When you have done all your stuffing just secure the top

by tacking around beneath the leaves and pulling tight to gather.

Keep stitching through all your top layers so everything

stays together because anytime anyone sees your

pineapple they have to play with it.

 

Flip the bottom, small leaves down so they cover the top row

of prairie points stitching.

You can add a few tiny stitches to keep them down if you like.

 

 

 

 What do you think ?

Will you be making a pineapple?

 

 

Thanks for visiting, it's nice to have you here. 

bling bling

 

I do love a bit of sparkle , I really do.

None of it is expensive so I can get a pretty

necklace every now and then.

 

The problem is they get all tangled up and

I'm just not a patient person to spend ages untangling them.

 

So I covered a wooden coat hanger in washi tape

and then I screwed some little hooks in.

 

Now I can hang some from the mirror without them

getting all twisted together.

 

Do you love some bling too?

again with the carrots

Here is the link to my fabric carrot tutorial .

It's not far really just hop over to my new blog

A Confetti Life.

Have fun !

little hearts and your big hearts

 

I was so lucky to be a guest poster on One Artsy Mama

where I shared this tutorial for little hearts .

Since then a few have asked if I could repost it here

so they could keep my tutorials altogether (how nice !)

 

Well here it is ~

 

These little hearts are so quick and easy to make in any size

and they have a little pocket for your love notes so

you can send messages any time you like .

They also might be cute for popping in your little ones

lunch box with a sweet note from Mum xxx

 

 

The ones here are only about 2" but you decide how big

you would like yours and trace your heart shape onto cardboard.

 

There are 3 pieces of fabric ~ front , back and pocket .

The pocket piece has the top edge pressed down before

sandwiching between between the front and back pieces.

 

Trace your heart shape on .

Stitch around leaving a gap for turning .

 

 

Cut out heart shape and clip and snip .

 

 

Turn right side out and stuff very lightly .

Neatly stitch the gap closed .

 

 

Pop a little note in the pocket .

 

 

These should take you 10 minutes to make tops .

So you can make a pile of them and everyone will know

you are just lovely !

 

 

 

As I don't do Valentines I give a donation each year

to the Heart Foundation and this makes my heart feel really good.

 

EDITED  Since this post was published on February 14 I have been contacted by

a few amazing blog readers who have said they don't do Valentines either

and are going to use my idea of making a donation to The Heart Foundation.

 

I am so humbled to think that my little blog could influence some

in this way and I am so touched .

 

Thank you very much x 

 

hearts (what an original title today)

 

Happy Valentines Day !

 

It is not a huge thing in Australia and it isn't even

acknowledged in my house besides the family

knowing that I make my donation to The Heart Foundation

on this day each year .

 

In the U.S.A February 14 is ginormous!

So you can imagine just how happy I was when

Amy from One Artsy Mama used my heart tutorial on her blog .

Thanks so much Amy I love your happy blog

and I'm thrilled to be posting there .

 

Please pop over and see my hearts !

let's make up

 

I've seen various tutorials around using felt circles and thought

how great they were but because I don't have a circle

cutter thingy there is no way I would be cutting 100 plus circles by hand.

So I thought I would give these cheap make up pads a go .

 

All I did was fold them in half and scrunch the bottom to form a point

and then hot glued the point to a styrofoam ball .

I used a knitting needle to pierce a hole all the way through

the ball first and threaded some cord through for hanging.

 

Then I glued and glued and glued and glued and

 

I ended up with this !

The photo doesn't do it justice it really is the softest

and prettiest thing and really beautiful !

Well worth all the gluing .

 

Don't forget if you have some Christmas craft even if

it is from last year come and link up here on Sunday to show us .

under the christmas tree

 

Yes , yes I know I'm a bit early but if I don't

get organised now I won't be organised again this year .

 

So because I am such a big thinker I thought maybe

I'm not the only one who wants to be organised this year.

I have also noticed that pinners are pinning a lot of Christmas stuff already.

 

So I thought what if I had a linky thingy here and you

could show what you are making to put under the tree.

You could link your sewing , recipes , decorations anything !

 

What do you think ?

Would you like to join in ?

What if I made a special button and you could tell

your friends what you have left under the tree ?

What if you could find all the links to the best Christmas stuff here ?

 

What if you found out it starts on Sunday ?

What about it ?